A man who has just been released from 20 years of captivity is going to need friends, and that’s where Michael Imperioli comes in in Spike Lee‘s OLDBOY. As Chucky, Imperioli is visited by his old pal Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) who, two decades prior, disappeared mysteriously. Looking at the situation through Chucky’s eyes allows us to ask: What would I do if my friend, quite clearly disturbed, showed up on my doorstep after all that time saying he’d been imprisoned and framed for his wife’s murder? (Most of us would slam the door, but Chucky doesn’t.)
Imperioli’s resume is filled with great, natural work (GOODFELLAS, THE LOVELY BONES and of course “The Sopranos” come to mind immediately); you can’t ask for a better embodiment of streetwise charm. His relationship with Spike Lee goes back over 20 years, starting with a small part in JUNGLE FEVER and continuing in MALCOLM X, CLOCKERS and SUMMER OF SAM, so his presence in OLDBOY is very welcome indeed. It was a great pleasure to sit down with Mr. Imperioli and speak about how his collaboration with Lee has evolved over the years, his nights out on the town with Josh Brolin, and what he hopes audiences get out of this remake, considering the original film (and manga) has a legion of fans.